Chapter 3: Broadening Horizons

Aria and Anna found themselves sitting among the first rows of seats, sandwiched between the clamoring crowds of people. Aria looked like she wished to leave but was being forced into attendance. Well, she probably knew most of what would be said in the introduction.

The stadium was just as grand in size as the rest of the Academy, a circular gladiator-esque structure at the back of the island, entered via a straight hall from the entrance. Yet even this massive building couldn't fit all the students Bastion wanted for their first year. Nora informed Anna that they had to do this in waves, so the opening wouldn't be anything too grand, at least not this year.

Rows upon rows in the spectator stands were already filled with people, and at the top of the arena were private boxes with tinted windows. The erupting crowd was the most expansive Anna had ever seen; even football games didn't have such an attendance!

The energy was infectious—Anna could barely hold still.

Inside the arena was a simple, circular stone platform surrounded by deep water with a circular ring of golden lights beneath it.

According to Nora, smaller arenas were scattered around the island for classes, tournaments, and other uses. But the massive one they arrived at was only for grand events, such as ceremonies and anticipated battles.

Sparring was common enough that they had many arenas scattered across the island. Nora informed them that they could expect to see themselves fighting their peers at least once a week, multiple times.

Anna wasn't sure what that entailed since she wasn't even sure how magic worked yet. Hopefully, it didn't mean getting her face beat in every week. That... or she would be the one beating in faces; a comedic image. Her question received a foreboding smile from Nora.

Anna leaned in toward Aria. "Why do you look so eager to lea—"

"Welcome, Earthling students, to the inaugural ceremony for Bastion Academy!" The orotund voice of a man boomed across the arena, interrupting Anna and making her nearly jump from her seat—a voice that Anna couldn't find the source of.

Then, a blinding light shined in the arena, and a bolt of golden lightning from a cloudless sky struck the center of the platform, causing a resounding bang that jolted Anna once again.

Once the smoke cleared and the light faded, a man revealed himself, kneeling where the bolt struck. He had a soft face, long golden hair, and grey eyes that literally shined with a grey light. He wore what looked like ancient Roman attire, with a golden chestplate and white clothes. A laurel rested atop his hair, and a silver ring hovered above his head like an angel's halo.

"It's with great pleasure that I officially welcome all of you, the future of Bastion, to the grand opening of our sacred academy—to the future of your race." The man stood, and his height was at least 6'6. His voice was grandiose as he spoke: loud, powerful, and what Anna would imagine a Greek demigod sounded like. "I'll try to keep this brief; your first classes begin tomorrow, and we need you to awaken today."

And brief it was.

The opening ceremony was an overview of what Alisha already told her and a bit about their expectations of the students. In other words, boring. Even the energy the man tried to bring didn't save it. They likely didn't want to make it too grand, considering there were more waves to bring in.

But it also seemed like someone important was missing, based on how frequently Anna would catch mages scanning the crowds and the announcer himself occasionally watching the skies. Nora herself looked annoyed every few minutes.

They were dismissed shortly after the golden-haired man disappeared in another golden flash of lightning. Nora showed Anna and Aria the path to the dorms and left them alone so they could get settled in as quickly as possible. Classes began on Monday, the next morning.

Once they reached their dorm, a rectangular, ancient European-esque building with a dome on top, the crowds had all died out. It was quieter, and they were the first to arrive, another benefit of Aria.

Anna loved the location, with a view of the ocean and the sound of the waves beneath them.

They were the first ones there, so there were no sounds other than mother nature. Yet another benefit of knowing Aria, who had evidently lived on the island for a while.

"This will be your home for a few years," Aria said. "Longer if you decide to work for the Academy."

Learning about magic just to teach? No way she wanted that. After learning that there are other worlds out there, how could she settle with staying on Earth and doing something so dreadfully boring?

"Other worlds..." Anna shook her head. "It still feels like I'm in a dream," she mumbled.

"There are countless," Aria said, opening the door and moving aside, inviting Anna in. "We know of less than a percentage."

"Thanks," Anna said absentmindedly, bowing her head slightly as she entered.

It was too unfathomable.

That conclusion was obvious, but hearing it confirmed was another thing. They weren't just talking about new lands—there were whole planets! Forget new paths being made for her; it felt like Anna was walking blindly through a desert in a sandstorm! Nobody could predict where her future would be!

And that only made her more bubbly when she thought of it.

The dormitory doors softly thud behind her, bringing her attention back to the present.

Her new home, her dorm. The reception area had marble floors and burgundy walls lined with bookshelves that led up to two doors on the left and right sides. On the far end of the room was a room reminiscent of a bank teller station nestled between two staircases that led to the second floor.

From beyond the reception area, through another door, emerged... a Dwarf. A real, bonafide Dwarf with a shiny bald head and the thickest, longest beard Anna had ever seen. Despite his small stature—smaller than Anna, which was a rare feat—his muscles were larger than her head, and his beard reached all the way to his ankles. His eyes were a clear bronze, with a sharp, appraising gaze.

"Close your mouth, girlie, or you'll swallow a few flies," Came the Dawrf's aged, deep, and gravelly voice in a low grumble. "Haven't cleaned the place yet."

Anna shut her mouth but couldn't rip her eyes away from him. It was a real Dwarf! She didn't think she'd see another race so soon, let alone one that existed in every piece of fiction imaginable!

"Gromak!" Aria exclaimed in the first easily noticeable emotional change in her tone Anna could pick up on; excitement.

"Well, pull my fuckin' beard… if it isn't Little Aria!" Gromak laughed. "Not so little anymore, though!"

Aria approached the bar, and Gromak grinned to his ear and put away the ledger he was writing in.

"What are you doing here? I thought the gate—"

"Ahh~," He interrupted, waving his hand in dismissal. "The petty little bastard got his ass wrung out; we got no problems anymore. You'll be seein' a lot of this old man in the comin' years."

Anna just stood at Aria's side, still reeling over the Dwarf and unable to conjure words. Feeling like a third wheel didn't help, but that was minor compared to... everything else.

"Good," Aria said, nodding. "How many of you were able to return?"

"All of 'em, pretty much, 'cept for a few who took the whole thing a little too personal." He shook his head. "Nothin' to worry about; we need Bastion just as much as it needs us."

"Uh..." Anna cleared her throat, getting both Aria and Gromak's attention. "Nice to meet you... Mr. Gromak."

Gromak snorted. "Drop the Mr, little lady." But his attention did turn to her. "Who's this cute voice belong to?"

The way he spoke wasn't like he was hitting on her, but more like admiring an artifact or a sword—odd in its own way.

"Annabelle Frost. This is her first time seeing your kind or anything related to magic."

"Ah. New blood, eh?" He smirked. "They finally pullin' out all the stops on bringin' in some freshies. 'Bout damn time we saw some new folk; been way too long since I got that look."

"Sorry." Anna lowered her head. "I didn't mean to be rude; it's just..."

"Trust me—I know." Gromak raised his hand and counted his points as he said, "Yes, I'm a Dwarf. Yes, I'm not from this world. I am happily married. And yes, I do dabble in a little magic." He then nodded. "Yup, that just about covers it."

"Bastion isn't a Human organization," Aria explained. "Many races—Dwarves included—came together to form it, and none have sole control."

"Oh."

It seemed she needed to re-evaluate the scope of Bastion's operations! It only made her adventurous spirit ignite even further than it already was.

Every hour outside her home had expanded her horizons magnificently, with more to come every minute she lived in this new world.

"Yup, but I'm just Gromak." Gromak chuckled. "Just your Dorm Manager."

"You're hardly—" Aria started.

"And!" he interrupted, "my Dorm will be the best on this island, then the best in all of Bastion. Don't disappoint me, girlies."

Anna smiled. She liked Gromak and what she could glean from his personality. "Is there competition between Dorms?"

"Of course! I'm tellin' you this now." He leaned into the counter and beckoned Aria and Anna closer. Once they complied, he whispered, "we get good benefits from being at the top, and I won't be the Dwarf to say my students sucked!"

Anna chuckled. "I promise to do my best for you, Mr—... Gromak."

Gromak nodded, a wider smile plastered on his face. "Good. I like you. You can have the coveted room 100."

"Wow! Thanks!" Not that she knew what that entailed. Maybe a better view?

"You wouldn't have given it to me anyway?" Aria asked.

Gromak snorted. "You aren't that special, girlie. Gotta be more respectful like your little friend here."

"We're sharing a room?" Anna asked happily—that was the best outcome!

"Yes." Aria nodded.

"I think you'll make a great combination." Gromak nodded approvingly. "A fire to go along with the ice, as they say... Or is that bad?" He tugged on his beard and shrugged. "Dunno."

"We will go up." Aria pushed off the bar. "But I want to speak with you more later, Gromak."

Anna felt left out, even though she wasn't particularly close to either of them... yet.

"Of course, we'll have plenty of time." He tossed Aria a key before shooing them away. "I'm about to be bugged by a bunch of bumpkins askin' about my race and beautiful beard, so you'd better get up there now."

"Thank you, Gromak!" Anna dipped her head. "I hope my performance meets your expectations."

"Good, very good, girlie. Now shoo. Don't want anyone thinkin' we're all lovey-dovey."

"Bye!" Anna shouted as Aria led them up the stairs.

Right as they entered the second floor, Anna heard the exclamations of the girls and the exasperated grunts of Gromak as he basically repeated the points he had made to her. Though with far less patience.

"Poor guy." Anna offered a silent prayer for the bombardment the poor Dwarf encountered.

"He's used to it," Aria said, taking her eyes off Gromak as they left the first floor. "Every Human new to Bastion reacts the same way, and he used to be the first Dwarf people meet."

"Was it the same for them? When Dwarves first met Humans, I mean."

"Maybe." Aria lightly shrugged. "But that was centuries ago."

"Woah~."

"Ah." Aria paused like she just realized something. "Dwarves a competitive race. Gromak to an extreme degree, even among his own. When he said do not disappoint him, he meant it. He will not tolerate being less than the best."

He did sound serious when he said it, almost like it was a personal thing. Anna looked forward to learning more about those dorm competitions and rankings, particularly how they worked. Everything pointed toward fighting, which she still wasn't sure how to feel about. But surely they weren't so simple and barbaric. Regardless, she loved team-based activities.

"Sounds like we have some sky-high expectations to live up to then."

"Not just from him."

The second floor was hallways with doors across it, and the other end was the stairs to the third floor. It looked simple, but it was anything but. Aria explained that the dorm had training chambers, hot springs, a dining hall, and various sports facilities. Not to mention that each room had private bathrooms and utilities necessary for private life!

Nobody could doubt Bastion's commitment to keeping their students comfortable!

Anna eagerly awaited as Aria turned the keys to their new home, the room on the far end of the hall and the room which would inevitably lead to great jealousy.

Their room was great, beautifully so.

Anna propped her suitcase against the wall and immediately ran to the large window on the far wall. "Woah~! You can see the whole ocean from here!"

The moon was high in the cloudy sky, and the waves crashed against the mountainside far below. There was enough room on the window sill to even sleep on if she wanted!

Aria gently closed the door and locked it. "Each room is facing the ocean. We're on the edge of the island."

"O-oh. Of course, I knew that, but the view is still amazing." No, she didn't, and she felt momentarily stupid for it. "Wait, why did he say this room is coveted?"

"It's not. Unless you attach authority to the number."

"He tricked me!"

"Gromak loves harmless jokes and pranks." Aria sat on one of the beds. "Watch for them."

"Duly noted." Anna looked forward to what sort of shenanigans they get up to with him.

Their room had two large beds, two desks, a few dressers and shelves along the walls, and a separate door that led to their bathroom. The furniture, along with the dark wooden floors and walls, created a wonderful rustic aesthetic. There was still plenty of living space available, too.

"This place is amazing," Anna said as she fell onto the opposite bed. "And this bed is so comfortable, I just want to— ...ow!" Something poked her spine as she rolled around.

"What?" Aria asked.

Anna sat up and reached under her blanket, where a glass vial filled with a viscous green liquid had poked into her back. Beneath it was a sheet of paper.

"This will awaken your mana; drink it before bed. Those who don't show up to class tomorrow awakened will not be allowed to attend. There are no side effects. Your class instructions are in your desks; read them."

"Just… just like that?" Anna's eyes widened, and she stared at the vial like it was the holy grail. "T-this... this will awaken me... make me officially a mage."

She expected something with more fanfare—more theatrics. But all she had to do was drink a potion, and her life would never be the same, even if she wanted to go back.

Aria's eyes slightly widened as well, and she quickly followed suit, picking up the vial underneath her blanket. "Finally," She mumbled.

"Why is mine green and yours blue? Should we just—" Anna started. "Well, okay then." Aria had already downed the vial, lying on the bed, fast asleep with gentle breaths. "That fast?"

Anna observed for a few moments, waiting to see if anything interesting would occur. And it did.

Every vein in Aria's body began to shine with a bright golden light like her blood was illuminated. A light of similar gold formed around her chest, and a low, mesmerizing shining sound emitted from her body.

That was all Anna needed to know.

She jumped back into her bed and popped the vial's contents into her mouth.

"Bleh."

It tasted like corn.

She blacked out.